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Kesiva vechasima tova to all. We wish to apologize for our unscheduled downtime recently, and we pray, hope and expect that it will not happen again. All issues appear in the archives.
On erev Shabbos kodesh -- erev Rosh Hashonoh 5761 --
at the onset of the shmitta year, thousands of our
finest farmers will place their trust in the Creator of the
world, anticipating the blessing of Heaven. These brave
farmers will lay fallow their fields and crops because the
King -- the Master of the Universe -- has commanded them to
do so. 60% of the people who immigrated to Israel from the former
Soviet Union in the year 2000 are not Jewish. This startling
statistic emerged from statements made at a recent press
conference by Minister Michael Melchior. Dismantling of Religious Affairs Ministry Liable to Harm
Torah Institutions Torah institution principals and administrators recently
participated in an emergency conference held in the Vishnitz
Hotel in Bnei Brak. At the conference, they expressed their
concern over the intention to dismantle the Religious Affairs
Ministry as part of Prime Minster Barak's "secular
revolution." The secretariat of Degel HaTorah convened on the 15th of Elul
for an urgent meeting on issues on the public agenda, among
them religious services, government offices and their
attitude toward the Torah world, relationships between
religious and secular Jews and the elections to the municipal
councils of Elad and Modi'in Illit.
Rabbinical Courts Transfer Funds to Reform-Conservative
Ulpanim Yated Ne'eman recently learned that the administration
of the rabbinical courts, headed by Rabbi Eli Ben Dehan, is
transferring funds to the joint "Orthodox"-Reform-
Conservative conversion ulpan network. Kibbutzim Hold Land for Private Housing Rather than
Farms The argument over the hetter hamechirah has aroused an
outcry among the representatives of the kibbutzim, especially
among Meretz politicians. The outcry focuses on the "affront
to the value of agriculture." Police Department Refuses to Reinstate Shabbos Observant
Officer In a letter to the Chief Commander of the Police, Attorney
Menachem Chachmon accuses the Police Department of refusing
to reinstate Officer Chezi Elmasi. Elmasi was fired from his
job because of his unwillingness to desecrate Shabbos.
Free Vaccinations for Seniors from Me'uchedet Kupat Cholim (HMO) Me'uchedet announced that it will make
available free vaccinations against flu and pneumonia for the
populations at risk who are members. R' Tzuriel Krispel Elected Head of Council of Elad
Municipal Council R' Tzuriel Krispel of Shas was chosen to serve as the head of
the Municipal Council of Elad with a slim margin of sixty
votes. Rabbi Yaakov Asher, the candidate of the BeYachad-Chen
slate, which was warmly endorsed by maranan verabonon,
received 49% of the votes. Understanding these Yemei Rotzon
The time is almost up. We have had a month already, since the
beginning of Elul, to prepare ourselves for the upcoming
judgment. We have not waited placidly for the time to pass,
but have taken an active role in exploiting the days to try
to reach the goals of these yemei rotzon. In this series, two American "transplants," or
chutznikiot describe their absorption in Israel. In
the eyes of both, the point of attraction to life here is not
lifestyle or mentality, but clearly only a high spiritual
level and the existence of Torah centers that enable perfect
Torah study for the husband. Days of Awe -- With the Bobover Rebbe
Monday, 3 Tishrei (Oct. 2) is Tzom Gedalyahu on which
we fast in memory of the killing of Gedalya ben Achikom who
was appointed by Nevuchadnezer to protect the Jews after the
destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash.
The custom is to make kaporos during the Aseres
Yemei Teshuvah.
The minhag is for the Mora DeAsra to say a
deroshah on Shabbos Shuvah to awaken people to
do teshuvah and inform the community of the
halochos of Yom Kippur and Sukkos (see Mishnah
Berurah chap. 429).
It is a mitzvah to eat on Erev Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur falls on Monday, 10 Tishrei (Oct. 9).
Yizkor is said on Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is prohibited in all the five
inuyim.
Shiurim for Yom Kippur
When a doctor does not require a patient to eat normally but
allows him to eat less than the halachic shiur, the
sick person may drink every nine minutes a volume of 40 cubic
centimeters of drink and 34 cubic centimeters of food.
A cubic centimeter and a gram are an identical amount only in
water where 40 grams of water is equal to 40 cubic
centimeters of volume. In other drinks the amounts are not
identical, and as far as food is concerned there is no
comparison between weight and volume.
The weight of a cookie is approximately 18 grams.
The weight of a matzoh is between 15-18 grams which is
34 cubic centimeters.
The weight of milk is 41 grams which is 40 cubic
centimeters.
The weight of grape juice is 44 grams which is 40 cubic
centimeters.
The weight of natural honey is 57 grams which is 34 cubic
centimeters.
(Birur Halocho Kamma and IV Orach Chaim 612)
Kiddush Levonoh is said on Motzei Yom Kippur
(for those who do not follow the Gaon's ruling to make
Kiddush Levonoh during the Aseres Yemei
Teshuvah.)
The minhag is to start building a sukkah on
Motzei Yom Kippur.
Yom Tov Sukkos falls on Shabbos, 15 Tishrei (Oct. 14)
in Eretz Yisroel, and in Chutz Le'aretz on both
Shabbos and Sunday, 15 and 16 Tishrei (Sept. 14-15). We are
obligated to eat lechatchilah more than a
beitzah of bread on that night while sitting in a
sukkah with kavonoh to fulfill this
mitzvah. In addition, we must have kavonoh that
we are doing so in memory of yetzias Mitzrayim and the
anonei kovod that protected us in the midbar
from the sun and the rain.
The last day for Kiddush Levonoh -- Tishrei
One can say Kiddush Levonoh in the entire world until
erev Shabbos morning, 14 Tishrei, erev Sukkos
(Oct. 13), at 7:03 A.M., Israeli time. The actual last time
is therefore in Eretz Yisroel and most of Europe on the
entire Thursday night, the eve of 14 Tishrei (Oct. 12).
However, in the west, meaning north Europe and America, their
final time is according to the difference in time zones in
comparison to Eretz Yisroel.
The astronomical full moon is three hours and fifty minutes
after the nigud emtzo'i and is at 10:53 A.M. It seems
to me that until the astronomical full moon it is preferable
to make a berochoh with shem and malchus
than to forfeit it altogether.
(Birur Halocho, IV, Orach Chaim 426 (pg.
300). |
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